The Bug Collector | marauders

The Day After Halloween

While Rose and Lily had a great time together at the Gryffindor Halloween party the marauders were not in attendance.

Halloween fell on a full moon that year.

Rose kept the boys in the back of her mind, wishing the best for them.

She skipped breakfast to visit Remus in the infirmary after full moons sometimes, and this time, like most times, all the boys were there.

"Hey Moons..." She said taking a look at Remus, he had a new scratch right across his face.

Poor Moony.

"We're here too!" James said, glasses falling off his nose.

"Shut it, Prongs." Sirius grumbled

"Prongs?" Rose asked.

"That thing we were gonna show you, Thorns." Sirius began.

"These prats have gone and become Animagus" Remus finished for him.

It was illegal, and difficult, Rose didn't question it for a second.

Remus moved uncomfortably under his sheets.

"And since we've tested it out, it's been decided that if you want...." James trailed off allowing Rose to comprehend him.

"I can too?" She asked excitedly.

"I've already made the potion for you, and we're sure you can get your hands on a mandrake leaf to keep in your mouth." Remus said, a shred of pain still lingering in his voice.

"I'll have a leaf under my tongue by the end of the day." Rose said with a smile.

"And I'm gonna grab Madam Pomfrey, you need it." She continued before going to do just that.

—

Later that day, as promised Rose waited patiently in the boys' dorm as they discussed the process to becoming an Animagus, which meant they could transform into an animal at will. They also discussed the reasons they had decided to do so.

Animals were much more helpful during the full moon than humans, they could actually be there for Remus this way.

"You'll have to help us with a name for Sirius." James said as he cleared a space, preparing to show Rose a demonstration of his animal form.

"As you've heard, the boys came up with Prongs for me, you'll see why in just a moment." He continued.

His form must have been large because he'd moved a dresser halfway across the room to make space.

"I'll go first the rest of you follow, yeah?" James asked.

"Yeah, that'll work Prongsie." Sirius said as Remus sat next to Rose to watch them.

And within seconds James had changed from
himself into— a deer? A deer with large antlers and a goofy expression on it's face.

"James!" Rose shouted a bit taken aback.

Sirius let out a laugh as Peter followed suit, shrinking into a tiny mouse. He scurried over to Rose and she held him up.

"This one I like!" She said as she sat the rodent in her lap. Peter squeaked and Rose giggled.

"If you think Wormtail is cool, this going to be bloody good." Sirius said before he was no longer Sirius, at least not in his human form.

He still looked like Sirius.

He had transformed into a large dog, with shaggy black hair and pointy ears that flopped over ever so slightly.

He pounced on her legs which caused Peter to scurry away and Rose to jump.

"Sirius!" She yelled.

Remus let out a soft chuckle at her side.

"Get your dog feet off her, mate." He said.

A lightbulb seemed to go off in Rose's mind at that.

"We could call him dogfoot!" She said excitedly

Sirius looked horrified, as horrified as a dog could look.

"Maybe not dogfoot, Rose" Remus said as he gave Sirius a pat on the head and looked down at him.

"What about Padfoot?" He asked and the dog's eyes seemed to light up.

The sound of James transforming back could be heard across the room.

"I bloody like that! Padfoot!" He said and walked over to the dog, giving him another pat on the head.

"Welcome to the marauders, Padfoot." He continued with a smile.

—

After lunch(when Rose had visited the boys) she returned to her classes, ate a large dinner, and finally headed to the greenhouses to collect a mandrake leaf and do her daily care of the plants there.

She saw Sirius sitting beside the entrance, a cigarette between his fingers.

"Thought you might head this way." He said as he put out the cigarette and stood up.

"I do even when I'm not on a mission to become a magic dog."

"You think you'll be a dog?"

"I have no idea what I'll be." She said, her breath coming out as a fog in the cold air.

"Let's go inside." She said.

"I'll light the incense." He said and walked to the edge of the room to do so.

He'd often be there when Rose made her rounds, clipping plants, misting them, occasionally singing to them.

He'd even hung out with her and Xeno a few times, though the white haired boy seemed a bit busy lately, she'd noticed him walking around with Pandora, a blue crystal around her neck, it made Rose smile every time.

He sat on the edge of one of the tables, legs dangling off as he watched Rose work.

"Thorns?" He asked.

"Hmm?" She answered softly, tucking a stray curl behind her ear and looking over her shoulder at him. He was holding a single mandrake leaf in his hand.

"You said you'd have it by the end of the day. The sun has set."

"Oh!" She said and walked over, taking the leaf from his fingers.

"Does it hurt? The process?" She asked.

"Would you still want to if it did?" He asked in response.

"Absolutely." She said firmly.

"I just want to know what to expect." She said as she placed the leaf in her mouth, standing before him.

Sirius looked at her for a moment, a long silent moment filled with an energy Rose could feel in her veins.

He grabbed her hand gently, it was cold and covered in dirt, he dusted the dirt away before leaning closer to her, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Rose stood shocked but Sirius didn't move, his face remained there against her's a few more seconds before the smell of smoke disappeared and the cold air hit her cheek once more.

Rose knew then she had indeed smelled Sirius in her Amortentia.

Sirius Black had crafted her feelings for him with butterbeer and rose petals and Rose had fallen for the whole thing.